Boots smooth skin IPL - V's - Phillips Lumea IPL

[returningstress]

Would be interested to know if you have either of these and if you are happy with the system you have?

I was all set to buy the boots system, then went into boots today and found out that after about 6months you have to replace the bulb which costs £100.

The phillips system is more expensive to start with but you do not need to replace the bulb.

Would like to hear if it works well for others.

Also the phillips system has been out in other countries for about 10years, so I'm thinking I could possibly buy it abroad for cheaper, but not sure if that is wise as need my garentee.

Any advice welcome...

i would be intrested to know peoples advice on these as well as im also looking to buy one
only advice i would give you though is stay away from products from abroad alot of them will be china replicas and can be very dangerouse as they havent passed any safety checks

Which one are you thinking of getting? I really liked the sound of the boots one untill I found out you have to keep rplacing the bulb and handset.

And I have just looked into the phillips one and it said you have to use it every 2weeks on under arms and bikini area, and 4weeks on legs.

I was hoping eventually I might be able to go 2-3 months without shaving or using the laser machine.

i really liked the look of the boots one as well but the £100 for the bulbs did put me off, but the remington i-light one looks really good i think the idea of it is u need to keep using them for a while then as time goes on less n less hair will grow back, the remington one says the results can last 12 weeks or more

I've been using the Boots Smooth Skin, cos the results are permanent. None of the other ones offer this and it is too much money to spend to not even get permanent results!

I had worried about buying another bulb head as well, but it turns out Smooth Skin has more than enough 'shots' in it to last the whole treatment. I think Lumea lasts longer cos you have to use it all the time.

lilly - I have not looked into the remington one yet, but will have a look... I'm happy to keep using it if it does eventually take 2 or 3 months to grow back, but do not want to have to do it every 4 weeks for ever, as will want to get a tan at some point.

lollipop - How long have you had it? And have you had good results yet? I dont think any of them can be completely permanent.

I had professional laser and the hair stayed away for 3months before it started to return, but I dod not have top up sessions.

I have been using it for 3 weeks now - I noticed a slower regrowth straight away and now there are patches where it doesn't grow back at all. I am impatient to hit the 6 week mark - hopefully by then I will hardly need to be shaving at all!

I came across a blogger when I first googled Boots Smooth Skin. Can't remember the name of the blog but she even put pics of her underarms in her weekly review - you could see how much less the hair was growing each week, really incredible. Let me know if you're interested and I will hunt out the link for you.

Ooh, have a birthday coming up. Will watch with interest.

Really, that sounds good, if you could post a link that would be great.

I am going to look into the remmington one as well as have not looked at that yet.

how much does it hurt?

Okay, after much rummaging I have found the link! Here it is - www.tackyblueeyeshadow.com/2010/06/ipulse-boots-smooth-skin-week-8.html

She is much further on than when I saw her update, she has hardly any hair left after 7 weeks! Am v jealous and hope my armpits are like that soon

Naomi83: I use my Boots Smooth Skin on the strongest setting and it doesn't hurt me - you can feel it, but it doesn't hurt, if you know what I mean?

lollopoplove - great, thanks i'll have a look... what was your hair like before you started using it? mine under my arms and lower legs in very dark and course. the tops of my legs are lighter kind of light brown.

just wondering how effictive it will be...

My hair is also dark and coarse on my armpits - I have to shave every day normally! So this is where I have been using my Boots Smooth Skin. Now I shave once a week at mo.

Good luck!

Hi lolli i am thinking of getting one too, how is it going now? have you started on legs yet?

Hiya newstart, I did my 5th treatment last week. It was from the 4th treatment onwards that I noticed the biggest difference - I shave once a week now (just before I do a course of treatment with Boots Smooth Skin) because there is hardly any hair growing anymore! My armpits are smooth all week - I keep looking at them in the mirrow, ha ha!

In the small areas that it does still grow it is really fine - it used to be really coarse and dark - and now it takes about a week to see the hair (I used to have to shave every day).

Haven't started on my legs as the hair here is much finer and grows slower, so it doesn't bother me to shave my legs every now and then. I will however be starting treatment on my bikini line next.

I am so impressed that Boots Smooth Skin has worked so well - I really didn't expect such great results, and so quickly.

oh sounds fab, doesn't it bother you about the replacement bulbs being so expensive to replace? How long can you use it before replacing them?

I don't reckon I'll ever need to replace it - there's something like 10,000 shots worth of power and I only do about 20 shots per session!

is there anything online which will tell you when the hair will start to regrow with the boots system?

There is another home laser system and online it says once you have done the treatment and the hair has stopped growing, if you completely stop the hair will start to grow back after 12-16 weeks.

Am not sure about these home sytems, think the jury is still out. They are not very strong other wise you would not be able to buy them for home use. They are probably just damaging the hair folicle and slowing the hair growth.
The hair folicle may rejuvinate itself and the hair will eventually grow back. If the hair grows back finer and lighter then the system won't be strong enough to remove it.
Am a fan of propper laser hair removal.

Ooh got to post on this thread - I've had both.

I originally bought the Boots one last summer, and was really pleased with it but then got lazy over winter and stopped using it so obviously all the hair grew back.

When I got it back out again a couple of months ago, the laser had started making a funny clicking noise so I took it back into Boots with the receipt and ended up swapping it for the Phillips version (paid the difference).

I'm much happier with the Phillips one because:

1. You don't have to use the gel so much less messy
2. You only have to use it every 2 weeks instead of each week.
3. You don't have to replace the bulb - I know it will eventually run out but 40,000 shots is a long way off!
4. The laser is much lighter than the Boots one and there are no cables as it's cordless, so much easier to do under your arms/bikini line etc.
5. The box is much smaller so easier to store

I'm so pleased with it - I have pretty pale skin and really annoying course hair which I normally have to shave every day, and now I'm only shaving about once a week and just the odd hairs. I wish they'd brought them out years ago, it makes such a difference in the morning just being able to pop a vest and shorts on!

berri - Im glad you have tried both, but now you have told me that I really want to pick your brains,

with the boots one you said all the hair went, how long did it take to get rid of it all and what areas did you do?

also when you stopped using the machine, how long did it take for the hair to grow back?

or to start to grow back?

and when the hair has stopped growing do you still have to do the laser every week? Or do you stop untill the hair returns?

As I want to use it for my legs but i will want to get a tan on my legs in summer, and know you cannot use any of the machines if you have a tan.

Sorry for all the questions but I really want to choose the right one.

No probs.

With the Boots one I did just my underarms, and noticed a difference after 2 goes (so 2 weeks) but it took about 6 weeks before the dark patch went away if you know what I mean. Then I just used it once every 2 or 3 weeks to stop it coming back. I did shave a little bit in between but it was just the odd stray hair and never like normal.

The hair started coming back after about 6 weeks of not using it at all - gradually though.

When the hair has stopped growing (like it has under my arms at the mo) I just use it every now and again. I think it'd take a while of using it religiously once a fortnight for it to really kill off the hair, but it makes such a massive difference I think it's the best thing I've ever bought!

The Phillips one is much quicker though, forgot to mention that before, as you have to leave both versions for a few seconds in between zaps to recharge, and the Phillips one does this quicker so you can just keep zapping rather than waiting in between zaps.

So I know it was more expensive, but I think it's definitely a better model just due to it being cable-free, no gel, lighter and that you only use it once a fortnight. Oh and that you get 40,000 zaps as opposed to 10,000. I don't know how many times you could replace the Boots bulb but 4 times would start to be a pain!

Feel free to let me know any more questions - I'm so pleased with the Philips one I could rave about it all day

Does it work if you're pale with blondish hair? I'm very tempted but wonder if I'm too pale...

so what happens after the 40,000 flashes with the phillips? can you get replacement bulbs?

I know none of them will be permant, but I really want one that will keep me hair free as much as possible throught out the summer.

Also i wante one which you can use on the face, can you use the phillips one on the face?

so when you say the hair grew back after 6 weeks, how long was you hair free before that?

are you going to use this one for your legs?

It is so helpful to have someone to talk to about this as I am so confused as to which one to get.

The only thing that i like about the sound of the boots one is that they say it is permant hair redustion so i'm thinking the hair free period might last longer. and that you can use it on the face.

Such a hard decision.

The Philips one is marketed as permanent hair reduction too - and is actually supposed to be stronger than the Boots one, hence only using it once a fortnight.

After the 40,000 you have to buy a new machine! But I can't remember how many times you can replace the Boots bulb after it's done it's 10,000 - if you have to pay £100 each time then it'd work out much more expensive in the long run.

I think it works on blonde hair - from memory it is only red hair and very dark skin which it advises you don't use it on.

I've been using this one on my underarms, legs and bikini line. I like the fact that you just shave anyway like normal - I used to epilate but it was such a pain waiting for the regrowth.

The hair-free period is a bit longer with the Philips as you only zap once a fortnight instead of once a week with the Boots.

I think both of them say not to use on the face and I probably should say this but I can't see any reason not to unless you have very sensitive skin - if you do go for the Philips you could turn the setting down a notch or two the first time to check it doesn't leave you red, but if your bikini area can stand it I would have thought your face could!

i really like that you can shave as normal too, as when I wax my hairs are coming through after 1 week but not able to wax again untill week 4.

so how long have you had the phillips now? and have you noticed a difference on all areas already?

I think I might go for the phillips